Best Vegan Banh Mi
Make this Vietnamese classic sandwich filled with colorful crunchy pickles for your next lunch or picnic!
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Entree
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 2
Calories 71 kcal
Pickled vegetables
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium daikon (white radish)
- 1/4 cup white or rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp white or raw sugar
- 1/2 cucumber
Protein
- 2 slices firm or extra firm organic tofu
- 1-2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
Siracha mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp vegetable mayonnaise (Vegenaise)
- 1 tbsp siracha (chili paste)
Toppings
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 1/2 fresh cucumber
Prepare the pickled vegetables
Scrape the carrots and cut into thin sticks.
Peel the daikon and cut into thin sticks.
Place the carrots and daikon into a mason jar.
Heat up the white or rice vinegar, the water and the sugar just to dissolve the sugar.
Pour the sweet brine over the vegetable and let it pickle for 15 mn or overnight.
Prepare the marinated crisp tofu
Pat dry the 2 slices of firm or extra firm tofu.
Pour the cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Dip the tofu slices making sure not to break them until they are coated on all sides.
In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients: 2tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar or maple syrup and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil on medium heat and pan fry the coated tofu for 1-2 minutes until the slices are crisp.
While the pan is hot, quickly pour the marinade over the tofu. Move and the flip the slices to evenly coat. Set aside.
Assemble
Place some of the siracha vegan mayonnaise on both sides of the rolls.
Add the cucumber sticks and pickled carrots and daikon on one side.
Add a slice of warm marinated tofu.
Insert 1-2 branches of cilantro.
Traditional Banh Mi always includes a few slices of hot chili. I omitted it on purpose because most people can't take the heat from fresh slices of Jalapeno peppers. So feel free to add it if you like some heat.
For a soy-free version, just substitute tofu with 2 cups of shiitake or baby Bella mushrooms and some shallots. Use the same marinade and bake at 375F for 15 mn and you are good to go.
Note: If you don't have hoisin sauce, just substitute it for some rice vinegar and skip the sugar. Serving: 2gCalories: 71kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1269mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 325IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Keyword dairy-free, vegan sandwich